CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
Memo Date: January 14, 2020
Agenda Date: January 22, 2020
Prepared By: Patrick Dovale, Commander
Through: Mike Cantaloupe, Chief of Police
Requested Action: Approve Request to Apply for Grant
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To provide approval for the City to apply for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Grant in the amount of $134,078 and to commit $33,519 towards the match requirement in the application in order to provide victim advocate services to crime victims. The total amount equals $167,597.
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BACKGROUND:
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has announced the availability of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant funds from the U.S. Department of Justice. The purpose of the VOCA grant funds is to support victims of crime by providing services that respond to the emotional and physical needs of crime victims, assist victims of crime to stabilize their lives after victimization, assist victims to understand and participate in the criminal justice system, and to provide victims of crime with a measure of safety and security.
The Cocoa Police Department is committed to reducing crime in Cocoa by strengthening our citizen's understanding of victimization. A victim advocate devotes attention to the various needs of the victim by acting as a liaison with officers, keeping the victim informed on their case, and arms them with knowledge to reduce the potential for further harm.
The funding for this project would be a necessity in providing further assistance to victims of crime in Cocoa. According to the Cocoa Police Department's Uniform Crime Report from 2019, there were approximately, 1591 total Crime incidents, of those, 176 were Domestic Violence related incidents. If the requested funding was granted, the agency would be able to continue to staff both victim advocates positions and ensure that every crime victim in Cocoa would be assisted and supported through the criminal justice process.
The Victim Services Program, which began October 1, 201...
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